Philipsburg, Sint Maarten — The Electoral Council would like to inform the general public that on November 9, 2015, six parties applied to the Electoral Council for registration of their parties and of the references to be placed above the list of candidates on Nomination Day to be able to participate in the upcoming snap elections on February 9, 2015.
These parties are the St. Maarten Christian Party (SMCP), the Millennial Advance Party (MAP), the St. Maarten Development Party (SDM), Helping Our People Excel Association (HOPE), Beyond St. Maarten Development Party (Beyond SXM) and the People’s Progressive Alliance Foundation (P.P.A.).
After thorough review of the applications and their accompanying documents, the Electoral Council found no objections to registering the first three political parties and their references, since they had complied with all requirements laid down in the National Ordinance on Registration and Finances of Political Parties. These parties are: the St. Maarten Development Party (SDM), the Millennial Advance Party (MAP) and the St. Maarten Christian Party (SMCP).
The Helping Our People Excel Association (HOPE) and Beyond St. Maarten Development (Beyond SXM), which were requested by the Electoral Council to make improvements to their Articles of Association, have done so in the meantime and have also been registered.
The Electoral Council decisions regarding registration of the five new political parties and their references have either been published in the National Gazette of November 28, 2015 or will be published in the subsequent National Gazette of Friday, December 11, 2015 as well as in the daily local newspapers as is required by law. Similarly, the Articles of Association of the newly registered parties have either been published in the National Gazette of November 28, 2015 or will be published in the National Gazette of December 11, 2015 as well as on the website of the Electoral Council.
The Electoral Council denied registration of the People’s Progressive Alliance Foundation (P.P.A.) due to the fact that pursuant to the National Ordinance on Registration and Finances of Political Parties, a foundation cannot be registered as a political party. The foundation was further informed of the possibility to file an appeal against the Decision of the Electoral Council with the Court in First Instance of Sint Maarten no later than the sixth day following the publication date of this Decision in the National Gazette. The Electoral Council Decision denying registration of the People’s Progressive Alliance Foundation (P.P.A.) was published in the National Gazette of Friday, November 27, 2015.
